Tag: Power

I have wanted to use that title for a long, long time. However, I haven’t felt that I had a story precious enough to be told under that heading!

Now I got the story for you. It is not extraordinary fancy and unbelievable. However, it is down to earth everyday value of a precious network.

So here is the story: It all started with a message on Facebook from a girl from the JA-YE Alumni network in Norway! (oh yeah I moved to Oslo) – She asked if I wanted to come out Saturday and show around a newcomer in Oslo. As always I’m pretty keen on getting out and meeting new people, so of course I said YES, right away.

But hold on! – How did my dear friend from JA-YE Alumni know of this new guy in town?
She had been contacted by a mutual friend of ours from the JA-YE Network, who had been studying with the new guy. She had been so kind to contact her network in Oslo, on behalf of the new guy and had managed to set up an afternoon tour.

So how did I get into the picture? – Well my dear friend was so kind to invite me along; I believe just random kindness´.

So we met up in the afternoon and went for a stroll around town. Went for a late afternoon lunch and ended up staying out all night sharing stories, business ideas, and contacts. What was so Awesome, was that we all just got along, basically from the get go! – And so you see the POWER of NETWORK!

As said in the beginning. There is nothing special or extraordinary of this story. However, had it not been for effort of network and the goodwill of others to put in a little care and kindness; I would never have met mr. new guy and I would for sure have missed out for a great evening. You make new friends every day, you just got to remember to be open minded and welcoming to strangers around.

I don’t know what this new connection will lead to. But, I’m sure something cool, or at least a good party in town. Let’s see. Network is Power and with care and effort, it will lead to great things.

In general our society has a tendency of praising the manager because he or she officially is the one making all the hard decisions, and takes the responsibility. The question is: is this really the truth?

To some extent, Yes. The CEO is the one making the hard decision and he is also the one taking responsibility for the particular companies’ actions. Therefor is the manager also paid more than the rest of his employees, because it matches his level of responsibility. The question is then, is the manger really the one with the outmost power?

Officially, “Yes”. In reality, “maybe Not”. We as society tend to forget the power of the secretary answering the phone when we call to reach the boss. The bosses’ secretary, also known as the gatekeeper, might possess one of the most powerful positions in the organization. The gatekeeper does not have the power to design future strategies, neither to let go of employees. However the gatekeeper is in total control of everything going in and out of the organization and therefore possesses the power of information.

If the gatekeeper is confronted with a proposal for the boss, the gatekeeper can decide to deny the proposal to go through and thereby influence the decision making of the management. Turning the situation upside down the gatekeeper is asked to inform parties in a certain case. The gatekeeper again has the power to influence the communicated message.

Not just, does the secretary have the power of communication. He or she does also have access to explicit information as they often are very close to the boss/top management. The secretary is most likely controlling the managers’ calendar and can therefore decide whether or not the manager has time to see you.

If you are wondering about how you can persuade a certain leader, then you should might change your perspective and start thinking about how to persuade the gatekeeper. It is often easier, as the gatekeeper is hired to be open-minded and make objective decisions. If the gatekeeper is convinced, he or she will sell your proposal to the boss and because of the great level of trust the manager and gatekeeper share, the proposal will be treated as valuable.

The subject of motivation is very essential for everyone no matter if you are an entrepreneur, a football player, or something else for that matter. Everyone needs motivation to do better and to do differently, in whatever field they are working. Everyone has their own sources for motivation, all depending on which vision, mission, or goal they are pursuing, and everyone is deeply dependent on their source for motivation to perform better at work, at home, or in their own business.

The reason for why I am writing this article is that I just watched a very inspiring movie, which builds on the element of motivation. The movie is Invictus with Morgan Freeman in the lead as Nelson Mandela during the 1995 rugby world cup in South Africa. By motivating the rugby team to do their outmost they join the nation’s different nationalities, and bring hope, motivation, and inspiration to the people of South Africa.

When I personally am in need of motivation I turn my head to certain movies. I have a personal favorite that inspires me a lot to keep on working for achieving my dreams and visions, and the movie is “Pirates of Silicone Valley” which is the story of two leading companies in the software business today: Microsoft and Apple. As I am in to computers it is not odd that such a movie inspires me, and keeps giving me refreshing energy.

Movies are however just one of the sources where I find motivation. It is very important to seek motivation outside of you mitten frames, and when you seek out you also get a lot of other qualities than motivation. Attending lectures with successful people is another place where I find motivation, and it also brings me valuable qualities, such as extended knowledge, inspiration, and network, which all are important competences if you want to do well in a modern business world.

Seeking motivation is an exciting challenge, and important for all. Without motivation you have no incentives to do anything on your own, and you will end up being a dog taking orders from it owner. Such a situation is there no one who wants to live in, and therefore is it also important to go seek the motivation today if you do not already have it.

It should however not be forgotten that motivation is not something hanging on the trees, and every single individual has its own source for motivation. Therefore may you also go find out what motivates you in particular.